Tim in Thailand

Where is? (App)

Where is?

Is a question that I would imagine that many tourists have when they visit a new country. Phuket might not be where I need this but recently I was in Bangkok and I needed something - it was a coffee.

In Phuket I generally know where the coffee is so it is not necessary - unless you have heard of a new coffee shop of course! Check out my review of Blah Blah here
(when I've been).

Then it was time for a Starbucks using Starbucks Near Me App.

The actual Starbucks App didn't help because it was early in the morning and I wanted to know whether it was open.

But them the next morning I wanted a Chemist - Foursquare / Swarm helped me!

Thank you.

Wat Abuse - what should I do?

I have posted here previously about this but on a trip to Ayutthaya I witnessed this.

Do you think that I should take off the scribbles?
Then they dressed up in Thai clothes and then they jumped up for a photograph.

All in the grounds of Wat Chai Watthanaram in Ayutthaya.

#rantoftheday - well nearly...

Chatuchak Weekend Market (@Bangkok)

Chatuchak Market is somewhere that if you are in Bangkok you must visit because it is so much fun. There is their website -

"Chatuchak Weekend Market (or Jatujak Market; Thai: ตลาดจตุจักร) is one of the world's largest weekend markets covers area of 70 rai (27 Acres) altogether divided into 27 Sections, contains more than 15,000 booths selling goods from every part of Thailand."

"Chatuchak Weekend Market, is very popular shopping centre to Thais and has become a popular place to tourists and foreigners who stay in Bangkok, has over 200,000 visitors each day (SAT-SUN) 30% is foreign.

Almost everything can be found here at a bargaining local price (not a tourist price), and most vendors actually come from local factories, like antique wood carving, clay handicrafts, local souvenirs from every parts of Thailand, Buddhist amulets, wooden funitures, hand made decorated flowers, plant, ceramic wares, dools, Thai Bejarong, Chinese wares, graden decorated plants, stones, trendy fashions, silk, hill-tribe outfits, fluffy dogs and more miscellaneous, etc."

Then they are also on Facebook. Wikipedia has some pretty good available information. There is a good meeting place in the middle of the market - the Clocktower.

"The clock tower is the famous meeting point in Chatuchak Market. Clock tower was built in 2530 on the occasion of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 60 th Birthday Anniversary on the 5 th of December 2530, in the cooperation of the Market Administration and Thai-Chinese Merchant Association"

Yes there is almost everything here - there is an App to guide you round the market (which is reviewed here) but it's not always easy - I think you should relax, wander and enjoy yourself. However if you are on a 'mission' shopping then you must remember to write a list.

I am not sure about the animals that there are here for sale though?

Something for everyone - there's simply too much to make a record of.

27 section of Chatuchak Market

Clothing & Accessories (sections 2-6, 10-26)
Handicrafts (sections 8-11)
Ceramics (sections 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 25)
Furniture and Home Decoration (sections 1,3,4,7,8)
Food and Beverage (sections 2, 3, 4, 23, 24, 26, 27)
Plants and Gardening tools (sections 3, 4)
Art and Gallery (section 7)
Pets and Pet Accessories (sections 8, 9, 11, 13)
Books (sections 1, 27)
Antiques and Collectibles (sections 1, 26)
Miscellaneous and Used Clothing (sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 22, 25, 26)

Like any market in Thailand - there is food everywhere.

If you need dog clothing it is here...

So how do you get there?

"Chatuchak Market is open on Saturdays and Sundays, 09:00 – 18:00, and Fridays 18:00 – 24:00. You can get to Chatuchak Market by the sky train (BTS) to Mo Chit Station and taking exit no.1 and follow the crowd until you see a small entrance to the market. Another way to get to the market is by taking the subway (MRT) to Chatuchak Park Station take exit no.1 and then following the crowd until you see a small entrance to the market. Moreover, you can take taxis, buses and vans to get to Chatuchak Market or if you are driving to the market, you can park your cars at Chatuchak Park Ride and they have convenient shuttle buses between the parking lots and Chatuchak Market."

Best Cafe Latte in Phuket - Chern Cha Tea Room (เชิญชา)

The best Cafe Latte in Phuket - Green Cha Tea Room (เชิญชา)

Somewhere different - a trip to Japan

This was our last trip to Japan - in 2013.

http://timinphuket-visitsjapan.blogspot.com

Today - Tuesday 26 January 2015 we go again.

Phuket Local Food Festival 2016

Phuket Local Food Festival took place at Sapan Hin this year. It was essentially a big car park sent up with stalls around the edge and then more rows of stalls in the middle.

My favourite - Sakoo Sai Mai

So what food was there?
Well I really did not know what it was all called but here is a selection.

a selection of rice dishes with halal curried chicken

Pad Thai

stewed animal parts and 1,000 year old eggs?

sticky rice in bamboo

deep fried prawns

delicious

a selection of stewed vegetables and animal parts?

do you want a massage?

shooting game

a bouncy castle

lots of chairs and tables

Jemma gets her light sabre...

So much happens here throughout the year.

Previous visits to Sapan Hin
1) Local Food Fair (2016)
1) มูลนิธิกุศลธรรมภูเก็ต Chinese Shrine (2015)
2) Fried Chicken and Sticky Rice (2015)
3) Fire-walking - Vegetarian Festival (2015)
3) Local foods and more (2014)
4) Kiew Tian Keng Chinese Shrine (2015)
5) A park and more (2013)
6) Vegetarian Festival Final Parade (2013)
7) Mangrove Walkway (2012)
8) Petanque in Phuket (2013)
9) Invitation Ritual Vegetarian Festival (2013)
10) Naval Museum (2012)
11) Southern Trade Fair (2012)
12) So much to see (2012)
13) OTOP Festival (2012)
14) Paramotoring (2012)
15) Snakes and the Thai Lottery (2012)
15) Sapan Hin Fair (2012)
17) Local Food Fair (2012)

BIGTHANKS - not really...

Guess they are not that good when you read the fine print...

this does not apply to third-party sellers.

So I didn't order the box set - my rant of the day...

Happy Cow (App)

My diet means Happy Cows...

Description

HappyCow.net, the world's premier online vegetarian, vegan, and veg friendly restaurant guide is now available on the go. Whether you find yourself in a new city, planning a trip, or simply looking for a new place to get your grub on, the HappyCow app is the best resource money can buy.

Features:
* Interactive map with easy filters by location, vegan, vegetarian, health food stores + more
* Quick browse mode of most popular searches
* Store favorites for instant details
* Organize hotspots for your upcoming trips
* Directions, Phone Numbers, & Websites
* Share your new finds with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, Email, or SMS
* Upload photos of your delicious food
* Submit reviews for instant advice for your fellow HappyCow users

If you have this sort of request for your food - Vegan, Vegetarian and Vegetarian Friendly. This is a wonderful App for this.

Then you can search for the ones which are closest to where you are - fabulous - then it indicates that the restaurant is closed!

Cost: $2.99

Ease of use: a simple and well organised App

Comment: if you have specific food requests this is for you

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/veg-travel-guide-for-vegan/id435871950?mt=8

(Click for more Apps for a trip to Phuket)

More things you should not do in Phuket...

Kiss a snake...

Then the place was closed down because it did not have a licence for the snake?

I first started this because I was annoyed at people trying to sell me a condo. Then I tried a #rantoftheday on Twitter and things not to do on my blog of things to do in Phuket.

I hope you have read about my blog post and the man with a pet python?

Then the python left him...

But looking at this video I guess you shouldn't play or kiss a snake...

I guess you should think twice...

Street Foods - Fried Banana

Deep fried banana is a must that you must eat when you visit Thailand. Okay it might not not be the healthiest dish but it does taste great! There has been little variation in the times that I have had it - although it does taste good with ice-cream or a heavy serving of creamed sugar.

All of the times that I have seen it made the slices of banana are first dipped into a batter, sometimes containing desiccated coconut.

Then the bananas are put into a bowl of bubbling oils.

The cooking bananas are continually turned and moved about - to ensure they do not stick. Sometimes the cooking bananas are then removed and then sesame seeds are scattered over them, dipped back in the oil and then set aside. So where to get them in Phuket? The best places are the Traditional Market areas...

Your Noodle Guide

How can you choose the noodles?

Here is a great guide for the type of noodles.

Here are some places for Traditional noodles in Phuket (there are more).

Poster is from Amazing Thailand.

3 otters, no snake and a house on the water

We went on several bicycle rides in Ao Yon recently and we like to visit the man with the Otters as we had done previously.

There is no snake any longer - it went out and did not return. We were welcomed by the owner of the house as family and whilst we were there there were a number of other visitors as well as a cat.